1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dual standby mode mobile terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dual standby mode mobile terminal having a single smart card slot and communication mode control method thereof that enables the mobile terminal operates in dual standby mode with a single smart card.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dual mode mobile terminal supports communications with two different mobile communication systems such as a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) system and a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system.
Typically, the dual mode mobile terminal supporting the GSM system and the CDMA system is equipped with a single communication processor such that the dual mode mobile terminal operates in only one of GSM and CDMA communication modes at a time. In order to overcome this problem, dual mode dual standby (or dual standby mode) mobile terminals are developed. Such a dual standby mode mobile terminal enables the mobile terminal stands by in two communication modes, e.g. GSM and CDMA modes, simultaneously.
FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a conventional dual standby mode mobile terminal.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional mobile terminal includes two smart card receivers 560 and 565 for receiving two smart cards 570 and 575, two radio frequency (RF) modules 510 and 520, two controllers 530 and 540 such that the controllers 530 and 540 control the communications with respective communication systems independently, and an inter-process communication unit 550.
As described above, the conventional dual standby mode mobile terminal requires two smart card receivers 560 and 565 for receiving two smart cards 570 and 575, and the communication mode of the mobile terminal is determined according to the smart cards inserted into the smart card receivers 560 and 565. For example, if a User Identity Module (UIM) card was inserted to one of the smart card receivers 560 and 565 and a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card was inserted to the other, the dual standby mode mobile terminal operates in both the CDMA and GSM standby modes.
However, the conventional dual standby mode mobile terminal has drawbacks in that the doubled number of components, i.e. smart card receivers, makes it difficult to manufacture the mobile terminal in compact and slim design and increases manufacturing cost.